Piracy crackdown in Jordan yields results

A crackdown on piracy in Jordan yielded 30,000 pirated DVDs, CDs and books in the first quarter of 2013, which is 20 per cent higher than items seized during the same period in 2012.

The National Library Department (NLD)[2] [in Jordan] confiscated around 30,000 pirated DVDs, CDs and books in the first quarter of 2013, which is 20 per cent higher than items seized during the same period in 2012, the department said on Monday.

A large number of those referred to court are repeat offenders, according to Abbadi, who noted that pirated movie DVDs and CDs made up the majority of the confiscated goods, followed by games and music.

He added that the department will launch a series of activities and campaigns on the occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day, which falls on April 26.

"We will hold a series of workshops and training programmes on IPR law in Jordan and the risks of IPR violations to the country," Abbadi said.

"We will also launch a campaign to crack down on stores that sell pirated items and train personnel working at the Jordan Customs Department on how to detect pirated items and familiarise them with the IPR law," he added.